I slept so late that I missed breakfast. I have to run to make it to my two hours of free training in the barracks courtyard. In the short time I have until lunch, I stay thinking in my room. Judith isn't here, but with how quiet she is, her presence wouldn't bother me anyway. Well, getting to the point. The first thing, since I took a map of the Clearhaven area from the library, is to roughly locate where that cave is. Around there I don't see any nearby threats except the village itself with its army detachment. I'll have to warn the goblins not to get close and be careful not to run into a patrol in the forest. As much as I look at the map, I can't think of any safe place where a goblin village could settle. In fact, that cavern they're in is quite large. They could use it as a base for now and maybe expand it in the future. We just have to eliminate the nearby threat, that is, the giant bear and any others that may be around there. Honestly, now that I've seen the ridiculous amount of experience animals give, farming the bear is no longer a priority for me. Anyway, I'll help them or go alone with the shadow wolf. Once we eliminate that threat, the goblins can start building some structures inside the huge cavern. I imagine they'll need tools. I doubt they were able to flee with more than the basics. And that could be a problem because what is money, precisely I don't have. I could go to the city, see if I can exchange those two low-quality swords for some tools. I'll also have to hunt, wolves or bears, and accept the skins. Hmm... the bear ones won't fit in my backpack and I don't want to stain it with blood either. Better I wrap the skins inside the biggest one and take some ropes to tie them rolled up and secure them on my back.
It's decided. I'll visit the city this very afternoon and then continue with my sword training. On Sunday I'll return to the forest to hunt.
I put away the map and head to lunch. When I arrive, many students are already eating the first course. I curiously observe that there's a little group of girls around Sol's table. She's telling them something and they seem excited. I continue my way to the area where the waitresses serve you what you ask for on a tray and then, as Mary greets me and calls me over, I sit at her table.
When the girl finds out that I want to go to the city this afternoon, she offers to accompany me.
"I have to go exchange a ribbon I bought the other day but that doesn't suit me," she tells me. "It's perfect, let's go together."
Faced with her sincere enthusiasm, it would seem very rude to say no, so I agree.
"Well, how are you doing with the ball preparations? Is your fiancé going to take you?" Vincent brings up the subject while resting his fork on his salad. He's looking at me with interest.
Ball?
"Sorry, I'm afraid I'm a bit lost."
"A girl who doesn't care about balls because she spends all day training with the sword? Marry me!" Darius jokes.
The prince and the other two boys look at him annoyed.
"No, seriously," I clarify. "I didn't know there was a dance."
Mary hastens to bring me up to speed.
"It's in seventeen days. It's held right here, at the academy. It's the end-of-term ball."
I'm going to ask but then I remember. In the otome I've gotten to play the events of this ball. And yes, there's one every term. The end-of-year one is the most elegant. And I, so focused on learning and leveling up, didn't even remember the biggest social event of the term... Oh. It's one thing to skip tea parties where intrigues are cooked up in the female faction, but quite another not to attend the dance.
I hope I have a suitable dress among those my maid packed for me and I have in the room's closet. Ignored, actually, because I only wear the uniform.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
"You're right, how silly of me, Darius might be right after all with that about me thinking about training all day." I wink at him.
"Hey!" the aforementioned snaps. "As if that were a bad thing. Besides, if you intend to get close to my sword mastery, you're going to work much harder, Miss Weakling."
I throw a bread crumb at him. I like him. He's totally predictable and sees me as a mix of a colleague and a sister. Not like the three romantic interests I have in front of me, who are looking at me and I'm unable to decipher their expressions.
For example, when the prince asked me if I was going with my fiancé, did he do it out of politeness or to find out if I'm free?
Sure, Mary is doing well with the romantic route, but Judith isn't interacting much with them and neither is Karina. Lily does seem to flirt with Alistair and Theodore, without deciding on one yet. Sol, for her part, is seething seeing that any approach she wants to make with Vincent is thwarted because he spends almost all his time with Mary. Not as a couple. The three of them seem to like her and have welcomed her into their select group of friends.
"Well, the truth is that Marco hasn't said anything to me. I imagine I'll receive a letter from him about it."
Theodore stares at me thoughtfully with his deep green eyes and says, getting ahead of his friends:
"If you don't have anyone to go with, let me know. I'm not going to let you attend a ball alone. You either, Mary. If they don't ask you soon, just tell me."
The prince looks at him with a furrowed brow.
In the otome, if you chose Mary as the protagonist, the three boys asked you to the dance as soon as you advanced a little in their romantic routes. I imagine the three of them (I say three because Darius wasn't one of the eligible boys and, honestly, he doesn't seem very interested) must be thinking of going with her. Since Vincent is the prince, Theodore and Alistair must be waiting for him to decide.
"Thanks," Mary blushes.
Okay, I have to answer him too.
"Thank you very much," I smile at him.
The truth is that, even if I'm not interested in starting a romantic relationship, Theodore is a sweetheart of a guy.
Lunch ends and time passes slowly. Nothing more relevant happens until Mary and I arrive in the city. First, we go to the blacksmith shop. I manage to exchange the swords for an ax, a pick, and a hammer. All three of low quality. Then, one of the events of the otome takes place on the most central and commercial street, in front of a store selling ribbons, hats, and other feminine accessories. This is a key event in Alistair's romantic route if you choose Mary as the protagonist.
"Well, if it isn't the commoner," Sol announces to the four winds in the middle of the street, thus stopping Mary who was about to open the store door. "I pity you," she says, though from her expression it's more like disgust, "with your light magic you think you're special, so special as to compare yourself to the prince and believe yourself his equal."
Caroline and Ashe follow closely, supporting her with their presence.
"And now you're going to enter a store that only the nobility frequents. Where did you get the money? Did they give it to you because you go around playing the victim of an oppressive system?"
She's right about the store. This is one of the richest streets in the city, frequented mainly by the nobility. There are some passersby from the upper bourgeoisie and, judging by how they stop to listen to Sol and by the hatred in their gaze as they look at Mary, it's as if they believe she's guilty of throwing overboard all their efforts to thrive economically and be respected by high society.
I remember this. It ends badly.
The nobles walking down the street certainly aren't going to defend Mary. The bourgeois who have already stopped will join the public humiliation and even throw some object at the girl, as if stoning her. Because they see her as a social climber, the commoner princess who is protected for being beautiful and gifted in light magic, the girl who is given what they have to earn through hard work in their jobs and businesses.
Sol, enjoying the attention, approaches and takes the ribbon from Mary's hands.
"Where did you get the money? Who have you fooled with your sweet words?"
So far, it's like in the otome. It's going to get bad before Theodore arrives to save her. What I should do is wait, let Caroline and Ashe join in the insults and let the passers-by rebuke her. That way, when he finally appears and rescues her, the green-eyed water mage will establish a bond with her, one that will allow them to get to know each other better. But honestly, I can't stand this shit. I don't like watching them harass her; even less so when it's Mary whose affinity attests that she's not fake, that everything she does and says is from the heart.
"Give it back to her," the word comes out firm from my lips.
I take a step and place myself between Mary and the villain.